Knowledge Quest News

New blog location

2009-08-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

Glad you've come by to read my blog. However, I have relocated it so that it resides on our own website - http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/blog.

This is the permanent location, but a temporary template. It will be updated to match our "look" soon. But the content and comments are coming in steady, so come on over and join the conversation. Have a great day!

Warmly,

Terri Johnson

A Child's Geography Vol 2 - Now on Sale!

2009-06-12T10:06:00.000-07:00

This is the first time we have placed the revised volume 2 of A Child's Geography on sale and we are so excited to get this title into your hands. However, the sale will only last for 5 more days, so this is the absolute BEST time to order!

Link to the sale: www.knowledgequestmaps.com/acg2.htm

Not sure if this book is right for you? You can download a huge sample by following this link - http://www.achildsgeography.com/holy-land-three-free-chapters/.

Have a great weekend!
Terri

Winners of A Child’s Geography v. 2

2009-06-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a terrific response to our June Giveaway for the very popular book – A Child’s Geography: Explore the Holy Land by Ann Voskamp.

We are thrilled to give away 3 copies of this book and the winners of the drawing are:

Paulette
Sarathan
Tristan

Congratulations ladies!

And for everyone else, don’t forget that this book is on sale at the lowest price of the year (35% off) until Tuesday, June 16^th at midnight (EST). Here is the link to the sale – www.knowledgequestmaps.com/acg2.htm.

Also, just a heads-up… we will continue our monthly drawings and are very excited for the titles that we will feature in the upcoming summer months. Make sure that you are signed up to our newsletter so that you can get the information first hand. You can sign up for the newsletter on Knowledge Quest’s home page – www.knowledgequestmaps.com.

Have a great day!

June Giveaway - A Child's Geography v. 2

2009-06-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

We have another drawing to present! But first, for those of you that didn't win last month's drawing for A Child's Geography: Explore His Earth, you can still get this title for free. Yes, you read that right, you can get your own free copy when you sign up for Homeschooling ABCs this summer! You can read the details here - www.homeschoolingabcs.com.

On to the details for the June Giveaway:

This month we are giving away THREE (3) printed copies of the book - A Child's Geography: Explore the Holy Land, written by Ann Voskamp. You will love this title! It is the second volume in the series

Check out some reviews at the links below and then click back here to find out how you can enter our drawing to win 1 of 3 free books.

http://www.amazon.com/Childs-Geography-Explore-Holy-Land/dp/1932786333

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=86337

http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/reviews/curriculum/reviews.aspx?id=492

http://www.cathyduffyreviews.com/history-geography/child%27s-geography.htm

http://www.homeschoolchristian.net/curricula/reviews/childsgeography.php

Reviews not enough? Perhaps a sample lesson will hit the spot! Below is a link to a huge sample pulled out of the front portion of the book:

http://www.achildsgeography.com/holy-land-three-free-chapters/

Here's what you will need to do in order to enter our drawing:

1. Visit this webpage - http://www.achildsgeography.com/about-volume-two/ - and skim through the product info.
2. Download the free sample (if you wish) and take a peek.
3. Tell us what you think by leaving a comment here on the blog.
4. Include your email or blog address so that we can contact you if you win.
5. We can only provide free shipping to U.S. addresses. However, if you live outside the U.S. and don't mind paying the postage, you may certainly enter our drawing as well.

The drawing will be held on Friday, June 12th. That is less than a week away!

Please note: If you decide to purchase the book because it looks so perfect for your upcoming studies AND because it is ON SALE until 6/16 and then you win a free book in our drawing, we will REFUND the amount of purchase. Don't worry about that.

Link to the sale - www.knowledgequestmaps.com/acg2.htm

You can join UHSE live!

2009-06-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

Wow, this is different from last year. Last year, you had to be a paid member to listen in during Expo week, but Cindy, in her generosity, is allowing everyone to listen in live - member or not!

So that means that you can listen LIVE all week. That is a great option for everyone who cannot afford the full Expo membership at this time. However, if you do choose to purchase a ticket, you will receive recordings of all 75 sessions plus access to the virtual vendor hall plus all of the downloads and goodies in the grab bag. It really is a tremendous deal at $39.95 (or $59.95 if you order with a friend).

Ultimate Homeschool Expo

Here's how you can participate, ticket or not:

Call-in (Call in on your phone, cell-phone, or SKYPE):
(347) 205-9175

Join Us Live Online:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Ultimate-Homeschool-Expo

And the winner of the free ticket is...

2009-06-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

We've held our drawing and the winner of the free ticket to UHSE is...

Karen from Alabama

She has been notified by email and will hopefully receive her ticket confirmation shortly. But Karen, if you do not get it right away, it's just because Cindy is so incredibly busy. Give her some time to get the details together for you.

For the rest of you, you will want to grab your ticket now because the conference starts in just 30 minutes!

Here's the link - Ultimate Homeschool Expo

Enjoy and I'll see you online!
Terri

Free Ticket to UHSE!

2009-05-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,

This is a fun giveaway! Cindy Rushton is allowing me to give away a free ticket to the UHSE (Ultimate Homeschool Expo). Have you been thinking about attending this online event - the largest of its kind for the homeschooling community? It is going to be very fun.

I feel privileged to be one of the 35 speakers and my session is on Wednesday (June 3rd) at 2:00pm CST on the topic of the 7 Essential Ingredients to Homeschooling Success. I hope that you will join me.

Here's what you will need to do in order to enter the drawing for the free ticket:

1. Visit this webpage - http://tinyurl.com/q2xtbx - and skim through the conference info.
2. Tell us what you think by leaving a comment here on the blog.
3. Include your email or blog address so that we can contact you if you win.

That's it! Enter the drawing quickly, because we'll draw our winner in time to be included in the entire week long event which starts at 10:00am CST on June 1st. So, we'll conduct our drawing at 9:30am so that you won't miss anything. Sound good?

Hope to see you online at the conference!

Terri

Getting a piece of the sholarship pie

2009-05-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

Every year, billions of dollars are given away in the form of scholarships and grants. The trickiest part of applying for college scholarships is finding out which ones the student is eligible for and has a chance of winning. 93% of all financial aid comes through the colleges and universities themselves and is therefore called "Institutional Aid". This aid is offered in the form of scholarships, grants, work-study programs and student loans. Only 7 percent of all financial aid is awarded through outside sponsors. However, these are the scholarships that are often the ones that are the most highly coveted and hotly contested.

Finding scholarships is not just about the search. It starts with understanding yourself and what makes you unique. It's all about assessment - assessing yourself and assessing the scholarships that come into your radar. Are you a good match? Too many students waste their time chasing the big dollar scholarships when they could more easily win a handful of the smaller ones.

As part of the Upper Level Homeschool class, we have created materials that will help your student get organized, understand his strengths, track his progress and stay in control of the scholarship application process.

You can find out more about this online class here - www.UpperLevelHomeschool.com.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!
Terri

Winners of A Child’s Geography v. 1

2009-05-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a terrific response! Well over 400 people entered the May Giveaway for the very popular book – A Child’s Geography: Explore His Earth by Ann Voskamp.

We are thrilled to give away 3 copies of this book and the winners of the drawing are:

Deb W.

Heather117

Kathy in UT

Congratulations ladies!

And for everyone else, don’t forget that this book is on sale at the lowest price of the year until Sunday, May 17^th at midnight (EST). Here is the link to the sale – www.knowledgequestmaps.com/acg1.htm.

Have a great day!

A Child's Geography Vol 1 - Now on Sale!

2009-05-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is the first time we have placed the revised volume 1 of A Child's Geography on sale and we are so excited to get this title into your hands. However, the sale will only last for 1 week, so this is the absolute BEST time to order!

Link to the sale: www.knowledgequestmaps.com/acg1.htm

Not sure if this book is right for you? You can download a huge sample by following the link in the post below. You can also enter our drawing to win your very own copy! Drawing will last until May 12th and the sale will continue until May 17th.

May Giveaway - A Child's Geography!

2009-05-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

It is time for our monthly giveaway AND this one has been long anticipated! We are giving away THREE (3) printed copies of the book - A Child's Geography: Explore His Earth, written by Ann Voskamp. You will love this title!

Check out some reviews at the links below and then click back here to find out how you can enter our drawing to win 1 of 3 free books.

http://www.amazon.com/Childs-Geography-Explore-His-Earth/dp/1932786325

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786323

http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/reviews/curriculum/reviews.aspx?id=492

http://www.cathyduffyreviews.com/history-geography/child%27s-geography.htm

http://www.homeschoolchristian.net/curricula/reviews/childsgeography.php

Reviews not enough? Perhaps a sample lesson will hit the spot! Below is a link to a huge sample pulled out of the front portion of the book:

http://www.achildsgeography.com/explore-his-earth-free-chap/

Here's what you will need to do in order to enter our drawing:

1. Visit this webpage - http://www.achildsgeography.com/about-volume-one/ - and skim through the product info.
2. Download the free sample (if you wish) and take a peek.
3. Tell us what you think by leaving a comment here on the blog.
4. Include your email or blog address so that we can contact you if you win.
5. We can only provide free shipping to U.S. addresses. However, if you live outside the U.S. and don't mind paying the postage, you may certainly enter our drawing as well.

The drawing will be held on Tuesday, May 12th. That is less than a week away!

Please note: If you decide to purchase the book because it looks so perfect for your upcoming studies AND because it is ON SALE until 5/17 and then you win a free book in our drawing, we will REFUND the amount of purchase. Don't worry about that.

Link to the sale - www.knowledgequestmaps.com/acg1.htm

Star-Spangled State Book

2009-04-24T19:33:00.001-07:00

I'm really pleased that we showcased the Star-Spangled State Book for all of you. Apparently, many of you were not aware of its existence. Well, I'm glad that you know about it now!

Don't forget that it, along with the companion workbook, is on sale until the end of this month, April 30, 2009. Grab your copy now - www.knowledgequestmaps.com/prod5.htm

Stay posted for next month's giveaway!

Congratulations to our winners!

2009-04-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

We've collected your comments and drawn 3 names to win the Star-Spangled State Book. Thanks to each of you for entering our drawing. That was alot of fun! Here are the 3 winners:

Diane H.

MaineMom

Erika

Congratulations! The 3 ladies above have received an email notifying them of their prize. Maybe next time it will be you!

P.S. Don't forget that our sale on the Star-Spangled State Book and Workbook will continue until the 30th of April - the last day of the month. Here's the link - www.knowledgequestmaps.com/prod5.htm.

April's Giveaway!

2009-04-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

It is time for our monthly giveaway AND I am super excited for this one! We are giving away THREE (3) printed copies of the book - The Star-Spangled State Book.

Check out some reviews at the links below and then click back here to find out how you can enter our drawing to win 1 of 3 free books.

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Spangled-State-Book-Joel-King/dp/1932786260

http://homeschoolbuzz.com/reviews.html?content=The-Star-Spangled-State-Book

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Homeschool_Reviews/1813.php

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786260&netp_id=478884&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tn3jcarter/218599/

Reviews not enough? Perhaps a sample lesson will hit the spot! Below is a link to a sample pulled out of the front portion of the book:

http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/StatebookSample.pdf

Here's what you will need to do in order to enter our drawing:

1. Visit this webpage - http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/prod5.htm - and skim through the product info.
2. Download the free sample (if you wish) and take a peek. Workbook sample is available also.
3. Tell us what you think by leaving a comment here on the blog.
4. Include your email or blog address so that we can contact you if you win.
5. We can only provide free shipping to U.S. addresses. However, if you live outside the U.S. and don't mind paying the postage, you may certainly enter our drawing as well.

The drawing will be held on Friday, April 24th. That is less than a week away!

Please note: If you decide to purchase the book because it looks so perfect for your upcoming studies AND because it is ON SALE until 4/29 and then you win a free book in our drawing, we will REFUND the amount of purchase. Don't worry about that.

Also please note: The Star-Spangled Workbook (that turns the State Book into a full year curriculum) is currently on sale at over 40% off. This sale will last until April 29th.

Dual credit courses during high school

2009-04-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

When you choose to homeschool through high school, you are presented with a unique set of challenges. Perhaps for the first time in your homeschooling career, you now need to assign grades to the course work that your child is completing. You are now responsible for maintaining a transcript that highlights all of your student's accomplishments, classes and test scores. And somewhere along the line, you realize that it can be tricky being objective when the student is your very own child.

Some of us parents are overly generous when awarding grades and credits to our high school children and some of us are overly critical about the effort that our teens are putting forth. In either scenario, we might be guilty of misrepresenting our teen on a transcript. We might be overly positive and complimentary and mislead college admissions with the incredible accomplishments of our child - perfect 4.0 (honors, AP, etc.) or we might dash his chances of getting into a really good school because we thought he could do better and so gave him less than wonderful grades (when in truth, his school work deserved a much higher score).

This is a fine line to walk, isn't it?

The great news is that there are certain check points along the way that can help us as we steer through this high school path. For high schoolers that are homeschooled, test scores become an objective measure of their knowledge and reasoning ability. In truth, test scores are an objective measure for ALL high school kids because standards and curricula vary so widely across our nation. This is the main reason why standardized aptitude tests (i.e. SAT I/ACT) are required of all students who desire to go on to higher education. Other tests that objectively measure a student's knowledge and skill are SAT II subject tests, AP and CLEP tests. These are regarded very heavily by college admissions officers.

Finally, another great way to show your student's true college potential is to have him or her take classes at the local community college. A high school junior or senior can receive dual credit for these classes - meaning they receive high school credit AND college credit at the SAME TIME. And if your teen is getting good grades in college level classes, this is looked at very favorably by college admissions staff.

The other great thing about having your high schooler take classes for dual credit is that they can chip away at their college requirements at a reduced fee (usually). Many community colleges have programs for high schoolers that allow them to take the college class for full credit but at a fraction of the cost.

Here's an example... Our local community college allows high schoolers to take classes for college credit (and high school credit) for $25 per credit unit. The regular cost is $80/credit. That is significant savings!

Plus if my child receives a good grade for her college class, that reflects very well on her. And I am just an observer. I take no part in awarding her the college grade or class.

BUT as her high school teacher, I do have to give her the grade and credit for the high school portion of the "dual credit". So, if she receives a B+ for her college level work, then I could very easily give her an A- or an A for her high school level work. Do you see how this works? You could also keep the grade the same and that would be fine also.

Anyway, I hope that this post has encouraged you to think outside of the box when you are homeschooling your high schooler. Consider dual credit. It is a great option.

Check with your local junior or community colleges to find out how you can enroll your teen.

And be sure to check into the Upper Level Homeschool class - http://www.UpperLevelHomeschool.com - starting this month!

God bless,
Terri Johnson

Interview with Meredith Curtis

2009-04-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Meredith Curtis of Take Root and Write (http://www.takerootandwrite.com/columns_joyful_and_successful_homeschooling/index.html) recently requested an interview with me. She'll be posting it on her blog alongside a review of our Homeschooling ABCs course. I thought that my blog readers might want to take a look into my personal homeschooling life as well. Thanks, Meredith for the opportunity.

Meredith: Terri, you mention on your website that you read Susan Wise Bauer's The Well Trained Mind which inspired you to make blank outline maps for your own children. Would you consider yourself a classical homeschooler?

Terri: Actually, no, I would not consider myself a "classical" homeschooler, although we do implement some classical concepts into our homeschool. Actually, I would consider myself an eclectic homeschooler and this is why. When we started out with our first kindergartener many, many years ago, we pursued primarily unit studies. That was a blast! Then I discovered Charlotte Mason and our studies took on this flavor for a while until I stumbled upon The Well-Trained Mind. It was at this time that I became convinced that the classical method was the best one for us to follow. This was when I was only schooling 2 of my kids and they both fit into this mold very well. However, as my next two daughters became old enough to join us in our school studies, I realized that I needed to alter some of the ways that I taught in order to accommodate them. We have gone back to incorporate more of the Charlotte Mason methods and unit studies to bring some flair back into our school days. However, I do use textbooks for a few subjects that require this type of approach for one or more of my kids. So, as you can see, I truly am an eclectic homeschooling mom!

Meredith: Please tell us a little bit about your own educational background when you were a child?

Terri: I went to public school when I was a child from grades K-12. I never knew or heard of anyone who was homeschooled at that time (although now I know that there were homeschooling pioneers way back then who were paving the way and I am thankful to them.)

Meredith: What led you to homeschool? What were the early years of homeschooling like for your family?

Terri: Our oldest daughter learned to read a few weeks before she turned four and this put me in a conundrum. I didn't know what to do with her for the next couple of years while she waited for kindergarten to start or what she would do while she waited for her schoolmates to learn to read. We were afraid that she would be terribly bored in school with the major emphasis on phonics instruction for the first couple of years. So, we decided that we would begin homeschooling the following year (technically a year early because her birthday fell after September 1st) and just see what happened. We thought that we would put her into school around 2nd grade when the rest of her peers would be reading and the emphasis would shift into other subject matters.

However, when second grade rolled around, our son was entering kindergarten and he was upset that we were thinking about putting him in kindergarten when we enrolled his sister in second grade. He wanted to homeschool just like his sister! So, we decided that if we were going to teach one of them at home, we might as well continue with both. That was the last year we even considered putting our kids into traditional school. Something that we used to say in the early years is that we were just taking it one year at a time. And I think that is a good way to approach homeschooling, because it is not us, but the Lord that leads us on our path. And yet, the Lord has made it very clear that this "educational choice" that we have been pursuing is truly a lifestyle and we have been faithfully traveling this path ever since that first decision to homeschool our first kindergartener and believe that we will see all of our children through school in this way, as long as He continues to make a way for us to do so.

We are finishing up our 11th year of homeschooling this year.

Meredith: Please tell us more about your philosophy of home education?

Terri: This is a bold statement, but I believe that every Christian parent ought to consider the option of homeschooling right alongside their choice of public or private schooling. That said, I do not believe that homeschooling is the best, nor certainly not, the easiest choice for all families as many factors come into play, BUT it is a tested and proven method for educational success. One-on-one tutoring within the family setting is producing children and young adults with strong academics and strong moral character.

Meredith: Terri, you have five children. What are their names and ages?

Terri: Actually, we have six children. Nicole is our oldest and she is 15 and finishing up her Sophomore year of high school. Brady is 13 and getting ready to begin his Freshman year this fall. Rachel is 8 and going into 4th grade. Lydia is 7 and going into 3rd. Autumn is 3 and Levi is 16 months old.

Meredith: Do you find yourself adapting your teaching for each of your different children?

Terri: Absolutely! As I said earlier, I have had to change my teaching style to accommodate various learners as they have been folded into our homeschool studies. In fact, now that my oldest two children are primarily independent learners, I now direct most of my teaching techniques toward my 7 and 8 year olds, who learn very differently than their older siblings. The classical approach worked very well for my oldest two, but my middle two thrive in a more Charlotte-Mason-style approach to learning. It is gentle, but not dumbed down… Interesting, but not too rigorous…

Also, I try to use the same texts and resources for each of my children as I strive to manage both money and time wisely, but when I find that a certain approach is not working for someone, I'll put that book away and try something else. Spelling is a perfect example. I have used Spelling Power for all of my kids and 3 out of 4 of them have done very well with the program. But one doesn't learn the same way. She is much more auditory than visual. I began using All About Spelling with her this year and her spelling ability has taken off! She just needed a different approach that suited her learning style. Yes, that means that I have to juggle spelling a little bit more, but the results far outweight any inconvenience to me.

Meredith: Where do you feel most successful as a homeschool mom?

Terri: I feel like I know my kids well. I know their strengths, their weaknesses, what frustrates them and what makes them swell with pride. I know when they are having a rough day and when they might need a little time to themselves or alone with me. I know when they are excited to get through with their schoolwork so they can get outside and play. I feel that I am successful in studying my kids and helping them to grow academically, emotionally and spiritually.

I'm not perfect, by any means, but I love spending time with my children and enjoying them for who they are.

Meredith: What is your biggest challenge?

Terri: Housework, hands-down! I am the Mary (vs. Martha) who would rather read, talk, listen and play. Dishes can be piling in the sink and laundry in the hamper and I am content to read another chapter in the gripping novel that we are engrossed in.

I have learned through the years that I need to create and use systems in order to stay on top of housework. The kids have daily chores that they need to complete before they rush off to any extra-curricular activities. If they don't keep up with their chores, then these extra privileges are taken away. We set aside times for housework when everyone must pitch in and mark off the duties they have completed on the chart. Kids and parents all work together to get the jobs done.

I am still largely responsible for laundry and this is the one area that I have not yet devised a workable solution that helps me stay on top of the huge task of washing, drying, folding and putting away of 8 family members clothing. Not to mention storing, organizing and getting rid of out-of-season or unwanted clothing. But I'll keep working on it!

Meredith: In your homeschooling journey, what has given you the greatest joy along the way?

Terri: My greatest joy has been watching my children succeed in something they have worked really hard for. When a child gets an A on a test or lands a lead role in a play, my heart leaps for joy. And yet I know that these are not the most important things in life. The real learning moments come from failure and disappointment. I cannot label it "joy", but some of my most satisfying moments as a homeschooling parent have been the times that I have been able to come alongside one of my children and encourage him after a difficult disappointment. These are the moments when real learning and growth take place. These are also the moments that strengthen our relationships with our kids. They need to know that it is not their success that makes us love them; it's just who they are!

Meredith: What inspired you to put together this amazing course, Homeschooling ABCs, for other homeschooling moms?

Terri: One day last summer, it hit me like a ton of bricks… there is nothing comprehensive out there that takes a new homeschooling parent by the hand and guides her through the steps necessary to begin homeschooling her kids. Over the years, we have talked with many parents via email, over the phone and at homeschool conferences about "how to homeschool". And yet I know that these 10 minute conversations are just not enough to fully equip a parent to dive right in. There is so much information out there, but your brain goes into overload when you try to digest it. Have you ever googled "homeschool"? There is a lot of information out there, but none of it is assembled into one easy-to-digest comprehensive program.

That's what inspired me to put together the Homeschooling ABCs course.

Meredith: Please tell us about Homeschooling ABCs.

Terri: Homeschooling ABCs (www.HomeschoolingABCs.com) is a 26 week long course that takes a new homeschooling parent by the hand and walks her through the first 6 months of her homeschooling journey. The class is delivered by weekly emails that contain a link to a PDF download that contains that week's lesson. The lessons are usually 10-12 pages in length and cover a single aspect of homeschooling such as:

A - 10 Easy Steps to a Great Start in Homeschooling

B - Let's Begin with the Basics

C - Copy the Classroom - Not! (Organization)

D - Dare to Differentiate (Learning Styles)

E - Establish Your Philosophy of Education

F - Finding the Best Curriculum for Your Family

Classes go on to cover individual subjects in detail, such as math, phonics, science, etc. The reason for this unique format is to allow the class member to read, absorb and apply that week's lesson before moving on to the next. We all know how easy it is to read a great big book and then apply maybe only 1 or 2 points from the entire volume. With this weekly delivery method, you get the opportunity to apply 1-2 points from each lesson and therefore are able to glean much more from the material over the course of the 6 months.

You can read all of the details on the website here - www.HomeschoolingABCs.com.

These classes are geared for homeschooling parents who have children of all ages and in all grades K-12. However, because of the unique demands and requirements of high school students, we have created a separate course just for parents of middle and high school students. It is called Upper Level Homeschool and you can read more about that separate 13 week course here -www.UpperLevelHomeschool.com.

It's been a pleasure, Meredith. Thanks for conducting this interview.

Be sure to visit Meredith's blog at:
http://www.takerootandwrite.com/columns_joyful_and_successful_homeschooling/index.html

Bonuses in first 48 hours...

2009-03-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

In just 3 days, we will be unveiling our brand new homeschooling through high school class. We're really excited about it for a couple of reasons:

1. Working with these expert authors has been a fantastic experience. We have not yet graduated our first high schooler, so we've brought in experts to teach on the subjects that we have yet to experience in full measure. It's been a great educational and rewarding experience for me!

2. Our Homeschooling ABCs course (www.homeschoolingabcs.com) has really hit a sweet spot for new and seasoned homeschoolers alike. However, it does not delve as deeply into high school issues because it is a course that has a broader reach. So this next class will really hit those issues specifically and provide knowledge, resource and answers for parents who are considering or have definitely decided to homeschool all the way through high school.

The class will be open to sign-ups on April 1st and that is not a joke. For the first 48 hours, we'll be giving away a couple of bonuses and these are:

High School Forms & Checklists - all the paperwork you'll need to complete the high school years!
Helping Your Teen Find His Passion - Identify the Godly gifts and talents that will last a lifetime!

Also, the first 30 class members to sign-up will receive direct access to me for 30 days. You will become part of my personal support group and I'll take the time to answer all of your specific questions based on your unique circumstances. It's going to be fun!

Stay posted for all the details on April 1st.

Terri

5 Days and Counting...

2009-03-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Did you know that there are certain foods that will help your teen to concentrate better and stay more focused? These "brain foods" may even help him to get better scores on his tests. Keep your fridge and pantry well stocked with:

oats/oatmeal
wheat germ
walnuts/other nuts
blueberries
avocados
salmon
eggs
cheese

Limit energy type drinks and drink more water. This is a recipe for greater concentration, better focus and a stronger memory. Give it a try!

In 5 days we unveil our brand new class for parents of homeschooled high schoolers. Are you wondering if you can really do this? Are you afraid that something might slip through the cracks and he won't be able to graduate at the end of his senior year? Do you wonder if you can adequately prepare him for college and adult life beyond homeschooling?

Worry no longer! We are assembling everything you need to know about homeschooling high schooler in one complete course. You will learn how to:

1. adequately maintain a transcript
2. plan a 4 year course of study
3. design a course for high school credit
4. prepare your teen for the SAT/ACT tests
5. outsource difficult subjects
6. help him get motivated and stay that way

And so much more... Stay posted. We reveal everything you need to know to get started on April 1st - and that's no joke!

In just 6 days...

2009-03-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

In 6 days, we will be unveiling our brand new class for parents of homeschooled teens. I cannot wait to share this with you! I've been working diligently on one of the lessons this week - Developing Good Study Habits. This is essential for your teen as he progresses through his high school and college years.

There are three parts to time management:

1. Organizing your stuff - if you don't have to look for it, you will waste less time!
2. Using your time efficiently - we all have just 24 hours in a day and how we use them will make all the difference in the world (setting aside a good number for sleep, that is).
3. Training your brain - by nourishing, resting and training your brain, you will be able to tap more out of it.

Next Wednesday, April 1st, we'll open up our class. It will run for 13 weeks, so if you enroll next Wednesday, you'll be wrapping it up by the end of June. This is perfect timing if you have a child in high school or about to begin high school.

JoJo Tabares has been working on our College Preparation lesson and let me tell you... it is jam-packed! This material is really solid and very step-by-step.

I'm excited!

Just 9 More Days...

2009-03-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

After much anticipation, lots of research and hard work, we are so excited to unveil our brand new class - Upper Level Homeschool - on April 1st.

This class is designed especially for parents of high schoolers and middle schoolers who are thinking about homeschooling all the way through. It covers everything that you will need to know to start your teens off right and keep them on track from grades 9-12.

The first few lessons will thoroughly discuss:

Mapping a 4 Year Course of Study
Designing a Course for High School Credit
Outsourcing Difficult Subjects
Keeping and Maintaining a Transcript
Developing Good Study Skills

The class then goes on to teach how to prepare for SAT/ACT tests, timed essays, CLEP testing, dual credit, preparing for college, applying for financial aid, and so much more...

Every parent of a homeschooled middle or high school student will benefit greatly from this course. Stay posted for the link on April 1st.

Congratulations to our winners

2009-03-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Yay! I'm so excited to post the names of our 3 winners in our Homeschooling ABCs Giveaway. All three ladies were super excited to win this prize and are looking forward to getting a huge boost of encouragement and ideas for the remainder of the school year and on into next year as well.

Here are the winners:

Betsy Bookworm
Shawnda O.
Denise C.

Congratulations, ladies! Enjoy your prize. Wondering what they've won? You can take a look here - www.HomeschoolingABCs.com - and you can even download a sample lesson here:

www.HomeschoolingABCs.com/guestdnldcenter2.htm

The sample lesson is a mini-ebook in its own right. The title is "Math Can Be Fun!" Enjoy!

Stay posted as our high school course will be unveiled very soon. I cannot wait to share it with you. So many homeschooling parents lose their confidence once their children arrive at the high school years. They feel that it is easier and less stressful to just put them back into public school. I'm not knocking that decision, but I am offering hope, help and step-by-step advise so that you may continue to homeschool, even through high school. This course is only partially written by me. We have guest authors who have solid expertise in homeschooling, graduating and preparing teens for college and beyond.

It is so fun to walk this road together. It keeps us strong and on the right track.

Blessings to you,
Terri

Homeschooling ABCs Giveaway

2009-03-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

We have fallen behind a bit in our monthly giveaways, BUT I am super excited for this one! We are giving away THREE (3) free memberships to our Homeschooling ABCs course (www.HomeschoolingABCs.com). This class has been getting rave reviews and we are absolutely thrilled that it has been benefitting new and seasoned homeschoolers alike.

Check out some of the reviews and then click back here to find out how you can enter our drawing to win 1 of 3 free class memberships.

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/HomeschoolCrew/602443/

Just click on the links of the reviewers' names and you can read their reviews. There are 89 of them as of this writing.

Reviews not enough? Perhaps a sample lesson will hit the spot! Below is a link to a sample pulled out of the middle of the class lessons - Lesson 13 (of 26).

http://www.homeschoolingabcs.com/guestdnldcenter2.htm

Here's what you will need to do in order to enter our drawing:

1. Visit our homepage - www.HomeschoolingABCs.com - and skim through the product info.
2. Download the free sample (if you wish) and take a peek
3. Tell us what you think by leaving a comment
4. Include your email or blog address so that we can contact you if you win

The drawing will be held on March 10th.

Please note: If you decide to purchase the course and then win a free membership in our drawing, we will REFUND the amount of purchase. Don't worry about that.

Please note this as well: We opened up our class to an additional 1000 people as of last month and about half of those memberships are gone. If you are interested in this course anytime in the next few months, I would suggest that you not wait too long. Just a thought...

Okay, have fun and enjoy the sample lesson - Math Can Be Fun!

New Template

2009-02-25T14:03:00.001-08:00

Well, it has been a while since I have posted...

We'll be doing another drawing very soon! In fact, it will be start next week on March 3rd, so check back here then.

In the meantime, I have changed the background to this blog so it doesn't look so template-ish. If you are looking for a new background for your blog, visit http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/. It's free and it's kinda fun!

See you next week!

Terri

We have 3 winners!

2009-01-14T13:57:00.001-08:00

Yay, we held our random drawing for our What Really Happened in Ancient Times book. Here are the three winners:

malachiway
catchmeathome
t.muston

Congratulations! Your books will soon be on their way.

This book has been well received (read comments here and on Amazon.com) and is currently on sale until Sunday, January 18th. Check it out and get your free biography here - www.knowledgequestmaps.com/wrhancient.htm.

Interested in the CPSIA ruling and its potential ramifications? Read below...

Great article!

2009-01-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

I just read this article after submitted the previous post. I think this one might be the most concise and entertaining of all:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123189645948879745.html

Do read!

Terri

CPSIA Ruling and What We're Doing About It

2009-01-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

Hey there,

Many of you have been asking how Knowledge Quest will be affected by the new CPSIA ruling that requires all products geared to children 12 years and younger to be tested for lead and phthalate levels. First, here's a brief summary, as we understand it...

On August 14th, congress passed a new law stating that all products intended for children (or that will come into contact with children) 12 and under be tested to determine lead and phthalate levels. (Phthalates are used as plasticizers added to plastics to increase their flexibility, in case you didn't know. I didn't!). The law will be enforced on February 10th, meaning that all children's products need to be certified that they fall below the acceptable levels or be removed from store shelves.

Sounds like a law with good intentions, doesn't it? I mean, truly, who wants to have items around our home that will be harmful to our children. The only trouble is that this is a law that has used a very wide brush in an attempt to paint very tiny details. It is overkill! The law came into being as a result of the hundreds of recalled products in 2007 (nicknamed the Year of the Recall). Most of these recalled items were toys manufactured and imported from China. However, this ruling affects all products, whether imported or manufactured right here in the States. AND it affects products already on store shelves.

This law requires testing on toys, clothing, books, CDs, and so much more!

You might be wondering how this affects you. Well, big businesses and small businesses alike will need to come into compliance with this law or destroy their inventory as of February 10th. That is why you are beginning to see massive liquidation sales. Some small businesses are planning to close their doors on February 9th. February 10th is being dubbed National Bankrupcy Day. Why? Because it is incredibly expensive to have small batches of products tested - $400 per piece on the low end all the way up to thousands of dollars. PLUS there aren't enough labs around the country to handle the massive number of items that need to be tested before 2/10.

Libraries will need to remove their children's books, if revisions are not made to this law before the looming date. It will be considered unlawful to check out a children's book that is uncertified starting on February 10th. And the fine is hefty if a company is found to be in violation - $100,000.

Do I sound like a scare monger to you? Trust me, I am not. We have been watching this closely since the week before Christmas and have read all of the legalese, the class action suits, the articles and the petitions. Frankly, I do not think this law is enforceable at the scale in which it has been written, but we do not want to take our chances either.

We are praying that major revisions would be made to this law. We believe (hope) that books will be made exempt at some point during this process. But, we will not operate illegally. For this reason, we have sent out our books intended for children 12 and under to be tested. The craziest part, of course, is that even if a book is found to have higher than acceptable lead levels, a child would have to do much more than lick the book or chew off a corner. They would have to consume the whole thing! I have never in all my life witnessed such a rediculous thing.

At what point did we become more concerned with the amount and content of books that our children are EATING over and above the amount and content they are READING?

Does this ruling bother you? You can read more about it here:

http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/faq/faq.html
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/74940-Congress-bans-kids-from-libraries/
http://kidsproducts.suite101.com/article.cfm/childrens_books_and_the_cpsia
http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1322
http://cfx.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080731/news_1n31toys.html
http://www.cpsc.gov:80/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

You can also call and write your senators and ask them to consider the enormous implications of this law as it stands and have exemptions put in place for books, clothing and other items that obviously do not contain any or hardly any of these substances.

And finally, please pray for small companies that may go out of businesses as a direct result of this law. Pray for the employees that will have to find work elsewhere. Pray for the thousands of home businesses that are currently self-supporting but will have to shut down because there is no way they can come into compliance because of the expense of testing. Pray that God would make a way.

We will continue to watch and pray!

We have a winner!

2009-01-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

Lisa (AKA Berry Patch) won our drawing for the print book - Dining on a Dime. I hope that you really enjoy this book and that you are able to apply many of the frugal and money saving techniques that are presented within its pages.

I can't wait til I receive my own copy!

We'll be holding our drawing for What Really Happened in Ancient Times next week. Stay posted! We will have 3 winners in that drawing. It might be you!

Time for a survey and another drawing!

2009-01-04T21:46:00.000-08:00

We've decided that these giveaways are alot of fun, soooo... we are giving away our Timeline Category Stickers to any and all who would like to participate in our short survey. We will keep your answers anonymous, but we would like to use this information for product development in this next year. Your opinions matter to us. When you complete the survey, you will get a link to our thank you gift PLUS we'll enter your email address into a drawing for 1 of 5 hardcover timeline books - Wonders of Old (www.knowledgequestmaps.com/wondersofold.htm).

Click here to participate in our 2-5 minute survey:

www.knowledgequestmaps.com/survey.htm

We've also decided that it's time to give away a few copies of What Really Happened in Ancient Times. Would you like to win a printed copy of your very own? Enter our drawing and you may be one of three winners randomly selected to receive a copy of the softcover book (not the ebook) delivered via US mail to your mail box.

Here's how to enter:

1. Click over to our website - www.knowledgequestmaps.com/wrhancient.htm
2. Read through the sales page and take a look at the fantastic illustrations by Darla Dixon
3. Come back here and post a comment about what looks interesting to you about the book
4. Be sure to leave us contact information (either an email or blog address will do)

That's it. We'll hold our drawing next Tuesday, January 13th and notify the winners by email. We'll also post their names for you here. So be sure to check back if you don't hear from us!

You may have noticed that we are also having a sale on this book and the 3 book series. Don't worry... if you DO buy the book NOW so as to not miss out on the sale and then win the drawing, we will refund the amount that you paid for your book including shipping.

Great! Leave us those comments and we'll look forward to holding our random drawing on Friday. Don't forget... there will be 3 winners!

Sending kids back to school tomorrow?

2009-01-04T07:17:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day of Christmas break and I cannot tell you how often I have heard tired out moms say, "I am so glad that I can send my kids back to school next week and get them out of my hair!"

And then, of course, the next statement that follows is... "I don't know how you do it, homeschooling six kids and having them home all day long!"

I think the emphasis in this statement is the "having them home all day long" part.

Now, don't get me wrong... I am a normal parent and there are definitely times when my children drive me up the wall. I didn't choose to homeschool them because I have some amazing supernatural ability to put up with chaos any more than anyone else. I didn't choose to homeschool because I have no hobbies and no interests and don't know what else I would do with my time all day long. I didn't choose to homeschool because I have "no life" outside of my children.

No, the reason that I chose to homeschool has nothing to do with me. In fact, I learned a long time ago that I have to die to myself in order to be the woman that God wants me to me. To be truthful, I have to do this every day. It begins with marriage and continues all through the parenting years. My life isn't about me anymore (I guess it never was!).

The reason that I homeschool is because I believe that it is the best educational option for our children. The reason that I homeschool is because I want to have an impact in their lives. The reason that I homeschool is because I don't want my children to be peer driven. The reason that I homeschool is because I want my children to think for themselves. The reason why I homeschool is because I want our family to function as a cohesive unit, to love and care for one another. The reason that I homeschool is because I want my children to understand that life isn't all about pursuing our own personal hobbies at the expense of others. Life is about becoming more like Christ - dying to ourselves and giving to one another. That's why I have chosen to homeschool and that's why I won't be putting my kids on the big yellow bus that will be coming down the street tomorrow.

I may not be sending my kids off to school tomorrow, BUT I am looking forward to getting back into our school routine. It will be good to be more productive and have less idle time on our hands.

And to all of you, be encouraged and have a great week!

Dining on a Dime

2009-01-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

We were snowed in for two weeks, but had a wonderful Christmas nonetheless! I hope that you, my readers, had a great Christmas and New Year yourself.

I am so excited to be offering another giveaway. This time it is a book written by my efriend, Tawra Kellam, entitled "Dining on a Dime".

You can read the full story here - http://www.livingonadime.com/books/nys.html - but basically, they are overstocked and are having an amazing sale on this title as well as some others. You see, Dining on a Dime is such a popular book that it sells for full price every day of the week and so you will rarely find it on sale. But now you can get a copy for HALF PRICE! I'm purchasing one!

AND I get to give away a copy as well. Here's what you need to do:

1. Go visit the website and then come back here and post a comment telling me what looks interesting to you about the book (or set of books).

2. Leave your name and a way to get in touch with you - either an email address or blog address.

3. Enter once per day until January 7th.

We will randomly draw a winner on January 8th and notify you by email. We'll post the winner here also. We can only ship to an address in the United States.

And don't forget to sign up for RSS feeds on this blog because we have another giveaway next week and have been doing monthly drawings since October. We're getting addicted to giving stuff away. It has been really fun. The old saying is true... It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Happy New Year,
Terri

7 Reviews & 7 Giveaways

2008-12-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

Hey there,

Shanna Clark over at Learning At His Feet (http://learningathisfeet.blogspot.com/) is having a blast giving away gifts during this Christmas season. We are donating a gift for one of the giveaways.

Would you like to win? Or at least find out more? Just click on the button below:

Wow, that worked! Pretty cool. I will have to figure out that button creation thing because that is very nifty.

Merry Christmas one and all!
Terri

9 Steps to a Meaningful Christmas for You and Your Family

2008-12-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

Get Rid of the Gimmees!

9 Steps to a Meaningful Christmas for You and Your Family

Christmas can be a magical time for children. Yet this holiday can also bring out whininess, disappointment and an ungrateful "gimme, gimme" attitude in our normally sweet children. How can we, as caring parents, counter-act this contagious and disheartening attitude? Let's use the word CHRISTMAS as an acrostic to remember some key thoughts and actions that can help our children (and ourselves) gain a proper perspective and appreciation for this most holy of holidays.

C - The letter "C" stands for two words - candles and carols. Light your home with the glow of candlelight. The presence of candlelight evokes a holy essence in your home - fitting for the holy occasion that we celebrate. Fragrant candles are even better! And remember to sing the carols of Christmas - together as a family and to yourself as you go about your daily tasks. Play them also on your stereo. The words of the traditional carols will imprint themselves upon your heart and mind and upon the hearts of your children as well.

H - The letter "H" stands for homemade. Christmas does not have to empty your bank account. In fact, the most meaningful Christmas gifts are usually the ones that are the least expensive. Children naturally love to give the creations that they make. Help them to find gifts that they can participate in the making of - simple yet thoughtful gifts that show their love and care for the receiver. (This year, my children are making fleece scarves and pocket warmers for their cousins and other relatives.)

R - "R" stands for reading the Christmas story. Do not forget to spend time in the Word of God, reading the account of our Savior's birth. He is the reason we celebrate this time of giving. We follow in the footsteps of the wise men who gave their precious gifts to an infant King, the Savior of the world. And do not just read it aloud together once, but several times throughout the upcoming weeks. (Helpful hint - this relates to letters "M" and "A" below.)

I - "I" stands for invite. Open up your home and invite your friends and neighbors in for tea and cookies. Why keep all those yummy cookies to ourselves when we can share them with friends? Don't worry about having your home look like a picture out of a magazine. We don't need to be perfect. Our homes do not need to be perfect. But we do need to share the love of Christ with our friends and neighbors.

S - "S" is for scoot out the unused toys. Like it or not, your children will be receiving more stuff for Christmas. Prior to Christmas is a perfect time for sorting through unused and unwanted items and giving them away to charity. During this cold and dark season, your unwanted blankets, coats and shoes can be a very real blessing to those who have less than we do.

T - The letter "T" stands for toss. Toss out the toy catalogs! This one is serious. One of the major causes of the "gimme" attitude springs from the onslaught of toy catalogs that enter our homes every autumn. If you would like to keep a few to order from, then by all means do. But do not put them into the hands of your children just to browse, or even to give you ideas. Scanning through toy upon gadget upon toy will begin to spoil the giving heart that you have instilled in your child only to be replaced by envious thoughts.

M - This one relates to the letter "R" above. "M" stands for memorize. Take a few moments every morning to memorize scripture. Luke 2:1-20 or Isaiah 9:6-7 are both good choices for this time of year. If you are reading this prior to Thanksgiving, Psalm 100 is an excellent psalm to memorize and it is only 5 verses long. Very doable!

A - Celebrate Advent. If you have never celebrated advent, perhaps this is the year to begin. Basically, advent is a purposeful celebration during the four weeks that count down to Christmas, reminding us each day of the first coming of our Lord and His imminent second coming. Here is a handy downloadable book that you can have in time for the first Sunday of Advent, which, by the way, is November 30th. http://www.joyfulmomma.org/Advent.html.

S - "S" is for Santa. I'm not knocking the fun that can had with the idea of Santa, but don't be afraid to tell your kids the truth. There is a good book that explains where the story of "Santa" came from and it is called Santa, Are You For Real? We let our older children help in the Santa fun. The younger kids set out the plate of cookies and write Santa a nice note. The older children get to stay up later and eat the cookies and write a return note from "Santa". Another fun activity is to play Secret Santa during the month of December. Each member of the family draws the name of another member of the family. The name of the person you draw is the one to whom you become the "secret santa". This gives family members the opportunity to do kind things for each other. These things can include giving small gifts, writing notes of encouragement, or doing acts of service. But be sure not to get caught! Reveal yourself to your special someone on Christmas Eve.

Enjoy Christmas this year and if you feel yourself getting weighed down by whininess or ungrateful attitudes within your family, remember the acrostic CHRISTMAS and do one thing different to make a change within your home. May God bless you and keep you and give you peace.

Merry Christmas!

Terri Johnson

Here are the winners!

2008-11-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, we held our 2nd drawing and these are the names that were drawn:

Jill C.
Barb D.
Denese

If one of these names looks like it might be you, please check your email box because we sent each of these three individuals an email notifying them of their prize - a copy of our book entitled What Really Happened During the Middle Ages.

Stay posted to this blog. In fact, sign up for RSS feeds, because we will continue to post drawings and YOU might be a winner next time.

Terri

Just who WAS Good King Wenceslas?

2008-11-17T14:57:00.001-08:00

We've decided that these giveaways are alot of fun, soooo... we've decided to give away the story of Good King Wenceslas to everyone who is interested. Tell your friends! This is an amazing story that your whole family is sure to love! You can download your free copy from this web page:

www.knowledgequestmaps.com/wenceslas.htm

This biography is one of eight that is featured in our book - What Really Happened During the Middle Ages. Would you like to win a copy of your very own? Enter our drawing and you may be one of three winners randomly selected to receive a copy of the softcover book (not the ebook) delivered via US mail to your mail box.

Here's how to enter:

1. Click over to our website - www.knowledgequestmaps.com/wrhmiddle.htm
2. Read through the sales page and take a look at the fantastic illustrations by Darla Dixon
3. Come back here and post a comment about what looks interesting to you about the book
4. Be sure to leave us contact information (either an email or blog address will do)

That's it. We'll hold our drawing on Friday, November 21st and notify the winners by email. We'll also post their names for you here. So be sure to check back if you don't hear from us!

You may have noticed that we are also having a sale on this book and the 3 book series. Don't worry... if you DO buy the book NOW so as to not miss out on the sale and then win the drawing, we will refund the amount that you paid for your book including shipping.

Great! Leave us those comments and we'll look forward to holding our random drawing on Friday. Don't forget... there will be 3 winners!

Whew! It's been a whirlwind around here!

2008-11-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

Three of our children have just finished 7 performances of Anne of Green Gables over the course of the past two weekends. It has felt like life outside of CYT (www.cytvanport.org) has been temporarily on hold. But it has been a fantastic experience for our kids. I watched them grow in ways that I wouldn't have believed possible even a month ago.

We get a little bit of a breather, but they have each decided that they will, in fact, audition for the production of Narnia, coming up in just 3 weeks.

Here we go again!

We held our drawing

2008-10-26T11:14:00.001-07:00

Yay! We have our three winners from our drawing for the book entitled What Really Happened in Colonial Times. They were so excited!

Donna in NC wrote, "Wow! Awesome! Thank you! This has made a wonderful surprise for me today... I just LOVE good children’s literature!"

Cindy L in Ohio wrote, "Thank you SOOO much! My kids will be so excited!"

Amber in BC, Canada wrote, "Wow Terri, I am so excited! Thank you again for the excellent gift!!!"

Wow, this is so fun to do. Stay posted to this blog because we'll give away another book next month. I am so excited. Well, ladies, enjoy your books! They will be sent to you next week. And I thank the rest of you for entering our drawing and hope that you will enter next month and win the prize.

God bless,
Terri

Colonial Book Giveaway!

2008-10-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

This week, we decided to have a sale on our What Really Happened in Colonial Times book of historical biographies. In thinking about the holidays and Thanksgiving coming up next month, our minds turn to the events of our founding forefathers. So, we want to get this book into your hands at a price that you can afford.

http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/wrhcolonial.htm

Then we got to thinking... that it would be fun to give away a few copies as well - yes, the printed books (not ebooks). So, if you would like to enter our random drawing, just click over to the webpage above, take a look around and then come back here and leave a comment. In your comment, mention something that interests you about the book or the webpage and be sure to include your email or blog address so that we can contact you if your name is drawn.

We'll post the winners on Friday - there will be 3 of them! So check back here if you haven't heard from us.

If you do purchase the book this week because of the great sale price AND then find out that you are a winner in our drawing, we'll just refund the amount that you paid (including shipping) and send the book to you through the mail. That way, you don't miss out on the sale while you wait.

http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/wrhcolonial.com

And giving away stuff is alot of fun. We think we'll make a regular habit of it. So you might want to include this blog in your RSS feeds so that you can stay posted.

Have an excellent week!

Terri

Let's Homeschool with Confidence!

2008-10-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

I am so thrilled to have finished my free 5 Day Mini-course on "Homeschooling with Confidence". The topics addressed over the 5 days are:

1. 4 Steps to Successful Homeschooling
2. What Your Child Needs to Know & When
3. Homeschooling on a Dime
4. Getting the Help & Encouragement You Need
5. Success Requires a Plan and a Purpose

You can sign up for this class at www.HomeschoolingABCs.com. There is no charge - it's my gift to you. Enjoy!

Terri

Host an Authentic First Thanksgiving

2008-10-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

In a recent issue of Seasons at Home, we discussed the benefits of holding historical feasts in your home as part of your family’s delightful and hands-on educational experience. You can read “Feasting on History” in the Summer 2008 issue of Seasons at Home magazine.

What Really Happened in Colonial Times?
Get the facts! Find out with these great sale prices - up to 50% off - www.knowledgequestmaps.com/wrhcolonial.htm.

With the arrival of autumn and the cooling temperatures outside, our thoughts turn to holiday celebrations – the gathering of family and friends around our hearth and home. The brilliant color display of the deciduous trees reminds us that this is the time to express our thankfulness to the Lord for His goodness and the abundant harvest of this past year.

In the year 1621, just 10 months after arriving at Plimouth, our pilgrim forefathers held a feast to celebrate their successful harvest and the Lord’s goodness bestowed upon them. With only 53 surviving members of their colony – about half of the number that left England the year before – these resilient men and women invited over 90 Wampanoag Indians to join them and threw an outdoor feast lasting 3 full days.

This feast may not have actually been called “Thanksgiving” because to these devoutly religious people, a day of thanksgiving was a day of prayer and fasting, and would have been held at any time during the year when they felt an extra day of thanks was called for. It was also a feast that was not repeated annually, so it can't even be called the beginning of a tradition. At least, not yet…

It wasn’t until 1863, shortly after the battles of Vicksburg and Gettysburg, that our tradition began when Abraham Lincoln declared a national holiday – a day of remembrance and Thanksgiving – to be observed on the last Thursday of November. It has been an annual American tradition ever since. Even so, we will always reflect upon and observe the 1621 feast as the very first Thanksgiving and it has become the model that we pattern our own Thanksgiving celebrations after.

So what was served at that very first Thanksgiving? Was it turkey and pumpkin pie? Well, yes and no… Turkey was undoubtedly served, but it wasn’t the centerpiece at the table nor was it stuffed. It was accompanied by venison, duck, geese and fish. Pumpkin may have been served, but certainly not in the form of a pie. Most likely, it would have been stewed and not sweetened like we serve it today.

Here is a recipe that may have found its way onto that first Thanksgiving table. It is called Furmenty and it is a pudding usually served at Harvest time in England. Furmenty is made from whole hulled wheat. Unusual, but delicious!

Furmenty

• 1 cup whole hulled wheat/wheat berries (available at many stores that sell bulk foods)
• 1 quart milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground mace or a pinch of nutmeg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• additional sugar for sprinkling

1. Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water, bring a boil and add the wheat. Lower heat to simmer, cover, and continue to cook for 3/4 hour, or until, soft. Drain off all the water and add the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon and mace/nutmeg.

2. Continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid is absorbed (20 to 30 minutes).

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and cream together and slowly stir 1/2 cup of the hot wheat mixture into the yolk mixture. Then stir the yolk mixture into the pot, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Serve sprinkled with sugar.

To re-create the other foods that were most likely present at that first Thanksgiving, I would recommend that you order the Thanksgiving Primer, a book that has been published by the Plimoth Plantation, a living museum recreating 17th century Plymouth. The museum’s goal is to create a better understanding of the life and times of both the English colonists who settled there as well as their Native American neighbors, the Wampanoag. (Another source of authentic Thanksgiving recipes is the book titled Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving Recipes and History from Pilgrims to Pumpkin Pie also available from Plimoth Plantation. Amazon price is $22.50.)

Order the Thanksgiving Primer by writing to:

Plimoth Plantation
Attn: Mail Order Department
P.O. Box 1620
Plymouth, MA. 02362-1620
Include a check for $10.90.

Or you may order these titles from Vision Forum or Amazon.com.

Within the pages of the book, you will also learn how the colonists might have dressed in 1621. We conjure up images of dowdy figures dressed head to toe in black with just a peek of white around the collar and cuffs. This was not the case at all. There was a much wider range of colors worn than our modern image portrays – colors such as red, yellow, purple, blue, brown and grey.

Clothing was fashioned primarily from wool and linen, with some leather pieces. Most of the garments worn by a typical English commoner from this time period would be recognizable today, consisting of a long shirt, breeches, knee-length stockings, coat and cape. Women wore shifts and petticoats as undergarments and gowns, waistcoats, capes and aprons over the top. Most women wore a linen cap called a coif covering their hair while the men wore varying styles of hats and caps, worn inside and out.

Although the 3 day feast of 1621 was more of a secular event and not a true day of Thanksgiving as they defined it, the faith of our pilgrim forefather’s permeated their every day lives. They undoubtably would have said a prayer before sitting down to their meal. Although the exact words are unknown, a typical “prayer before meate” would have gone something like this:

O Lord our God and heavenly Father, which of Thy unspeakable mercy towards us, hast provided meate and drinke for the nourishment of our weake bodies. Grant us peace to use them reverently, as from Thy hands, with thankful hearts: let Thy blessing rest upon these Thy good creatures, to our comfort and sustentation: and grant we humbly beseech Thee, good Lord, that as we doe hunger and thirst for this food of our bodies, so our soules may earnestly long after the food of eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen

George Webb - Short direction for the daily exercise of the Christian London 1625.

The pilgrims would have sat on benches at cloth-covered tables. They ate with knives, possibly spoons, but without forks. They would have used large linen napkins, about 3 feet square, for wiping their hands, which were used to both serve and eat the meal. The individual dishes they used were called trenchers, which are small square or round wooden plates. The food would have been brought to the table on serving dishes or platters and the trenchers used as a place to cut food just before being consumed, much like the “reach and eat” style of eating that is still common in the Near East today.

Enjoying an authentic first Thanksgiving will be a very worthwhile and memorable event for your entire family and invited guests. I challenge you to take a stab at it and take many pictures throughout the process. What a highlight for this fall season! Take the guesswork out by ordering a copy of the Thanksgiving Primer. This book outlines everything you need to know about throwing your own 1621 Thanksgiving feast.

Bon Appétit!

What Really Happened in Colonial Times?
Get the facts! Find out with these great sale prices - up to 50% off - www.knowledgequestmaps.com/wrhcolonial.htm.

Warmly,
Terri Johnson
Knowledge Quest, Inc.
www.KnowledgeQuestMaps.com

Is this your first year homeschooling?
Make it the best year possible with
www.HomeschoolingABCs.com

Update on the opinion poll...

2008-10-10T20:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, there has been a dramatic shift in the survey results. Here are the latest numbers:

Homeschooling on a Dime - 15
What You Child Needs to Know When - 27

Would you like to express your opinion? I am trying to decide which topic I should write about for a 5 day ecourse for beginning homeschool parents. The course would be free.

My initial thought was that I would write a 5 day class on the topic of What Your Child Needs to Know and When. However, with the economy the way it is and an uncertain financial future on the horizon, I started to wonder if a better topic might be Homeschooling on a Dime. That is why I initially turned to you, my readers, for help.

I am leaning back towards my original topic and will probably get started on it this weekend. Thank you so much for your opinions! And they are still welcome, by the way. Please do share your thoughts. Your feedback is so valuable to me!

Terri

Survey says...

2008-10-10T03:46:00.000-07:00

Well, you guys are really helpful! The two choices are neck in neck - basically a tie so far! So I am still wanting to hear your opinion, in case you haven't left it yet. Here are the survey results so far:

Homeschooling on a Dime - 13
What You Child Needs to Know When - 14

Thank you so much for posting your thoughts. Keep 'em coming - they are priceless!

Terri

Affiliate commission has been upped to 75%

2008-10-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

Do you want to post feedback on our survey question? Scroll down to the next post. Thanks!

Hey, we are so excited about our Homeschooling ABCs class and want to get the word out about it. So, we are offering a 75% affiliate commission to anyone that wants to refer it to their friends or acquaintances. If you are interested, here's how you can get started:

You are free to use any wording that you find on the website (www.HomeschoolingABCs.com) or if you would rather, you can send out an article written by me entitled "5 Essential Ingredients to Homeschooling Success". If you indicate interest by sending me an email, I'll send it right over. Then you will simply replace your affiliate link at the end of the article so that you can get credit for the sales that you generate from it.

To get your special affiliate link, follow the directions on this page - http://www.clickbank.com/info/jmap.htm?vendor=knowledgeq. If you have a clickbank account, just enter your "nickname" and click "create". The page will generate your special affiliate link. If you do not have a clickbank account yet, simply follow the directions there to sign up for one (it's free!) and then use the nickname that you were given to complete the affiliate link on the page above.

This is easier than it sounds and I think that you will be pleased by the response that you will receive when you let your subscribers know about this opportunity. Here are a just a few of the comments that we have received already:

I just have to say, thank you so much for offering this opportunity. I haven't even gotten started (just subscribed), but as I was reading about the offer it brought me to tears. I want to homeschool and do a good job from the beginning and it's been a very scary and unsupported road so far. I feel a new surge of hope. You are an answer to prayer.

Thank you again! I'm looking forward to getting started!

Tonya

Wow! What a great idea! I am so excited to get started. I feel encouraged already. Thank you so much for taking the time to put this class together for newbies like me. You are a blessing.

Belinda

I just had to send you a quick note to thank you for this wonderful service you are providing. I'm a "veteran" homeschooler (we're starting our 7th year), but last year was really discouraging for me, so your ABCs came just at the right time. I really needed a remedial course in homeschooling--your weekly assignments have been so helpful for me. It's the class I needed to take 7 years ago!

~Rosemary

Let me know if you have any questions whatsoever. Have a good evening!

Guarding our school day

2008-10-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Survey below - I want your opinion!

I just finished writing Lesson J for our Homeschooling ABCs class (www.homeschoolingabcs.com). I am really enjoying teaching this class for beginning homeschool parents. The lesson that I just wrote and uploaded to the membership site is about guarding our school time. The title is "Just Say No - Staying Focused and On-track".

How many times do we pick up the telephone and realize that shouldn't have because we KNOW we are going to lose 45 minutes of school time. And how many times have you decided to check email for just a few moments and realize that a half an hour has slipped by and the children have wandered off and are no where to be seen.

Guarding our school time is an important and hard-learned lesson for most of us. How many times have you had your sister-in-law drop her little kids off at your house during school time because she figures you're home and can easily fold another busy toddler and demanding baby into your day's routine and activities. How hard and yet how important it is that we communicate our schedule and when we are and are not available for others.

This lesson provides a framework for when to say "no" to an activity and when to respond with a wholehearted "Yes!". When we are careful about the things we say yes to, we don't get the life sucked out of us and have burn-out set in. Setting boundaries is so, so crucial to our homeschooling success!

Survey: I would love your opinion! I am writing a 5 day mini-course that will be free to all who want to take it. This is separate from our Homeschooling ABCs class which is a paid membership class. Anyway, which topic do you think would be more useful for beginning and seasoned homeschoolers alike:

Homeschooling on a Dime (free and cheap ways to teach your kids at home)

OR

What Your Child Needs to Know and When (now you can rest easy!)

I would love to know your opinion! Thanks for sharing.

Terri

Getting started with Facebook

2008-10-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, I took the plunge and decided to set up a Facebook account. Some of my friends have been persuading me to do it for a few months. I'm not sure why I hesitated except for maybe the fact that I already have a hard time finding enough time to post to my blog. I thought, Oh dear, if I have one more thing I have to keep updating, I could be in trouble.

Anyway, I found out that it's not hard at all and you can add to it whenever you want. You don't have to have everything perfect the way you want it on Day 1. In fact, I still have some information that I need to fill in and I might add some pictures a little bit later. What I have been excited about is finding some old friends and keeping up with family members who live far away. It's pretty nifty. If you aren't on Facebook yet, might I suggest that you give it a try. I think that you will be glad that you did.

Here's the link - www.facebook.com

Terri

The next "Around the World" unit study

2008-10-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

These are so much fun to put together. I hope that you enjoy using them. This unit study is on the country of China. After becoming more intrigued with China as a result of the 2008 Summer Olympic games, it was fun to dive in and learn even more about this complex and ancient country. The best way to take full advantage of this unit study is to read the article first in the fall issue of The Old Schoolhouse magazine (link below). Here is the China unit study:

www.knowledgequestmaps.com/chinaunit.htm

Enjoy!

Warmly,

Terri Johnson

My favorite homeschool magazine - check out their fall special

2008-09-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

If you're like most of us, you're usually on the lookout for ways to help your home and homeschool run smoothly. You want suggestions, encouragement, and practical how-to information. You need a storehouse of helpful articles for those days when you yearn for a fresh idea, a little boost, or facts to share with potential critics – all from a solid Christian perspective. That's where The Old Schoolhouse Magazine comes in.

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has just launched their fabulous Fall Special for new U.S. subscribers and you'll want to respond early. It's a 50% savings off of cover price and they even have a homeschooling tote bag for the first 1000 to respond!

Right now, during their Fall Special you can subscribe for only $39! You’ll receive 2 years of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine (8 large quarterly issues), the current issue (so you get a quick jump start!), and 6 fabulous Bonus Gifts (for the first 3000). PLUS, the first 1,000 new subscribers will also receive their Homeschooling with Heart tote bag!

View the full details and subscribe online at www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com/US_Promotion.php.

And, in case you didn't know, I write a column for The Old Schoolhouse magazine entitled "The International Schoolhouse". In this article, I highlight a specific country of the world, tell some fun facts about its history and geography and a little bit about homeschooling in that country. Fascinating, if I do say so myself. And, each quarter to go along with it, I give our newsletter subscribers a unit study to go along with it. Very fun and educational. You can sign up for our newsletter here - www.knowledgequestmaps.com.

Scheduling the Easy Way - A 5 Step Plan

2008-08-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year. Everyone is gearing up for school. All of the stores are having "back to school" sales on everything from school supplies, clothing and even furniture. Parents are anxious, students are feeling dread, and everyone's pocketbooks are getting thinner. BUT this need not be the case!

We can keep our spending under control and we can be prepared and confident for a new school year. We can even pass that enthusiasm onto our kids so that the sense of dread is replaced by a sense of anticipation and excitement. So let's get started.

But first, take a moment to read an archived article on the subject of How Not to Overspend on Curricula if you still have some purchasing to do and then click right back here to get your scheduling plans in place.

Step 1: Plan Your Subjects

Consider the ages and grades of your school children and decide which subjects they need to study this year. Obviously, you want to cover the basics primarily when your kids are still young - reading, writing and arithmetic. As they get older, you will eventually drop formal reading lessons and even handwriting assignments and begin to focus more on what they are reading and how they express themselves. Most students are ready for grammar and spelling by 3rd grade, if not earlier. Arithmetic will one day be replaced by algebra and higher math and science and history will become of greater significance to their studies as they progress through the years. At some point during your children's education, you may want to add in other subjects such as foreign language, logic, fine arts, debate, and geography. Did I miss anything?

But I hope that it is obvious that you do not want to try to cover all of these subjects with all of your students every year. It is just too overwhelming. Pick 5 or 6 subjects that your students are most in need of and let the rest go. These are the subjects that my children study at these grade levels:

Grades K-2 - Reading, Handwriting, Math, and History (w/narration)
Grades 3-6 - Math, Grammar, Spelling, History and Science
Grades 7-8 - Math, Grammar, Spelling, History, Science and Logic
Grades 9-12 - Well, lets just say that it gets to be quite a bit more! We'll cover higher math, literature, grammar, history, science, health, fine arts, debate, government, foreign language and various electives. But not all in one year!

By the way, we do our writing assignments across the curriculum so we do not separate it out as a separate subject. I hope that makes sense.

Step 2: Purchase Your Materials

Hopefully, you have already purchased the majority of the curricula, books and other materials that you plan on using this upcoming year, especially if you intend to start school sometime this month. If you have not, then you might want to hurry up and do so and perhaps even request expedited shipping. I am not your stellar example as I just placed all of my orders last week, but I also do not intend to start school until mid-September, so I should have plenty of time still to review the materials that will begin to arrive over the next 2-3 weeks and get my scheduling done before we start school.

If you have not decided on what curriculum you want to use, or have it narrowed down to 2 or 3 choices, then this is the time to ramp up your online and offline research and make some decisions.

Your online research includes checking out the websites of the curriculum providers that you are considering (do a Google search), reading reviews that have been posted online and asking questions on homeschool chat boards. Your offline research will include asking your friends' opinions, visiting your local homeschool bookstore and browsing through your favorite catalogs.
Some curriculum companies offer a "trial run", meaning if you don't like it after 30 or 60 days then you can return it for a full refund. You may want to consider this if you are still unsure which program to use for your children.

Step 3: Set Aside Some Time

Ideally, I would suggest that you find a weekend between now and when you start school to get away with your husband and get your final preparations in order. This is not exactly a cheap option, but priceless when it comes to the time that you will have to strategize with your spouse and get your goals and schedule out on paper. The place you would choose would need to fall somewhere between boring and exciting. Let me explain... if you just pick a motel down the road to "get away", most likely the view will not inspire you nor the surroundings intrigue you when you need to take a break and get out for a walk.

On the other hand, if you choose to head for the lake with your ski boat in tow, you might not get anything accomplished because who wants to think and strategize when you can be out waterskiing! My husband and I often head for a quaint inn on the Oregon coast which has breathtaking views, fantastic restaurants and not a whole lot to do but sit on the beach or take a walk through the foaming surf. It's an ideal place for us to talk, to dream, to set goals and to get our thoughts out on paper.

If you absolutely cannot get away for a weekend or even an overnighter, then consider scheduling an afternoon or two at the library. This will give you the time you need to focus without the constant interruptions of family life (as charming as those interruptions can be!).

Step 4: Open the Books

Bring all of the core books that you will be using this year with you on your scheduling day or weekend, as well as any teacher's manuals that came with your chosen programs. Bring, also, any books that you will be using for the first month or so of school. The tools that you have chosen for your children's education will help you to determine your daily and weekly schedules. Here's how...

Let's use a grammar book for our example. Let's say that there are 120 lessons in the grammar book. Take 120 and divide that by 36 weeks in the school year. Your answer is 3.33 and that means that your student will have to cover 3 and 1/3 lessons per week to finish the book in one school year. What this means to me is that I will need to schedule grammar for this child at least 3x per week. Perhaps a goal that you have for this child is that they catch up from last year. Then you might want to schedule 4 lessons per week. Or maybe you honestly don't care if you finish every last lesson in the book, then 3 days should suffice. You get the idea.

How about math? Let's say that the book only has 90 lessons. Well, 2 1/2 lessons per week may not be enough mathematical stimulation for this particular child. You may decide that you do not mind if your student gets ahead in this subject, so you bump it up to 4 lessons per week. These are decisions you will want to make for each student and each subject as you look through each of the core books and teacher's manuals that you will be using with your children this year.

Here are some suggestions for how many lessons to cover each week, but by no means are these hard and fast rules, so make your own decisions and feel confident about them based on your own goals that you have set for your children and the books that you have chosen to use this year.

Math - 4-5 days per week
Reading/Phonics - 5 days per week
Handwriting/Copywork - 4-5 days per week
Grammar - 3-4 days per week
Spelling - 2-3 days per week
Writing - 2-3 days per week
History - 3-5 days per week
Science - 2-3 days per week
Foreign Language - 2-4 days per week
Logic - 1-2 days per week

Step 5: Write it Out!

Now, by this time, you have invested some significant thinking time. You want to get your ideas out on paper so that you can continue to use this information all year long. You don't want to have to go through this process again this year unless you change your program or curriculum at some point during the year.

On a piece of paper, draw out boxes for a typical school week. You may not want to schedule your subjects for specific times of the day but prefer to simply schedule the order of the subjects. Either way is fine. Personally, I choose a start time for school, but after that we just keep plugging along until all of the scheduled subjects are completed for the day. We take breaks when necessary!

You can keep this schedule solely for school subjects or you may want to include chores and other weekly events on your schedule as well. Rework the schedule until you are satisfied with it and then type it up on the computer. Post your schedule once completed in a prominent place and place one in each child's school notebooks as well. You can't follow a schedule that you don't see!

Here are some examples of schedules from previous years. I don't know if they will be helpful to you at all because we are all so different and operate within our families differently, but I wanted to post them in case you can glean anything of use from them.

General School Schedule - list of subjects and order to be tackled
Specific Time Schedule - initials represent different children
Specific Week Schedule - for one child only

On this last schedule, I set time aside every Sunday evening to look ahead through the books and determine exactly what each child would be doing during that particular week. I typed in page numbers and specific activities onto the individual schedules that I kept for my two school children that I had at that time. I now have four children in school along with a toddler and a baby on the way. I will not be making these specific schedules for the children every Sunday night this year, but I will be looking ahead each Sunday to see what we'll cover during the week ahead to determine if I need any supplies, library books, etc.

Well, I hope that I haven't overwhelmed you and that you can appreciate how scheduling your school year in advance will alleviate most of your worrying and wondering about whether you are covering all that you should be this year. But please remember that your schedule and your plan are only tools to help you. You are not a servant to them, they are servants for you. If it's not working, revise it or ditch it altogether and start over. You are the teacher. Modify your schedule or your books to make them work for you.

Have a great school year and enjoy the process,

Terri Johnson
Knowledge Quest, Inc.
www.KnowledgeQuestMaps.com
www.HomeschoolingABCs.com
Make this the best year ever!

Our three winners!

2008-08-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

We held our drawing yesterday and these are the names that were drawn out of the "hat" (well, it was a bowl, but that doesn't quite sound right, does it?)

Devriesfam - Allie won the iPod Nano
Brittany (teacherbritt) - winner of $150 KQ gift certificate
Michelle Winter - winner of $150 KQ gift certificate

Congratulations ladies! Thank you so much for posting your reviews of our products at the Amazon and CBD websites. We are so grateful and hope that you enjoy your gifts. Thank you to the rest of you as well as you all posted approximately 80 reviews across those two websites covering over 10 of our books.

We'll do this again sometime as it was a whole lot of fun!

God bless,
Terri

5 Essential Ingredients to Homeschooling Success

2008-08-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

We’ve all seen it… or, at least, heard about it… the homeschooled child who wins the geography bee, or the one who graduates at the age of 15, or the one who excels in musical accomplishments…

Now, obviously, a student does not have to be homeschooled in order to accomplish one of the feats above, nor does every homeschooled child excel in such notable ways. However, every homeschooling parent desires for success in teaching their children at home and launching them into the world to become all that God has intended for them to be.

The flipside to this statement is that no one wants to fail when it comes to teaching their children at home. So, what are the five necessary ingredients to homeschooling success?

The first one is the desire to foster a closer relationship with each of your children and your kids with one another. If you don’t want to spend more time together and deepen these relationships (or, at least, want to want to spend more time together), then homeschooling may not be the best choice for you. However, I am sure that you have heard it said before that at the end of the day, no one is going to say, “I wish that I had spent more time at work… or by myself… or with my canary…” No, the universal regret that aging and dying people declare is their sadness over not spending enough time with their loved ones. Teaching your children at home is an amazing opportunity to spend more time with your dearest loved ones and have no regrets.

The second ingredient to homeschooling success is a teachable spirit on the part of the parent. This is essential because, like it or not, you will learn so much more teaching your own children than you ever did in school the first time around. So, you might as well like to learn.

On that same note, the third essential ingredient to successful homeschooling is creating a home environment that is conducive to learning. This may show itself differently in each of our homes, but the result is the same – a place where kids can learn and enjoy it.

A home that is conducive to learning may have quiet and cozy reading nooks, bookshelves crammed with great books, a listening corner complete with headphones and a beanbag chair, uncluttered smooth surfaces for writing, stacks of coloring/activity books and colored pencils, a place to gather together and talk about the day’s events. You get the idea… Create centers in your home that make learning fun and accessible.

The fourth ingredient for a successful homeschool is 2 hours of your time to devote to your children’s studies. Truly, when the one-on-one teaching method is employed in your home, you do not need all day in order to get things done. In fact, a child in K-2 grades might be finished with her schoolwork in as few as 45 minutes (of course, that probably does not include the time that you spend reading together because who can get enough of that!).

At the other end of the spectrum, you might not need that much time with your middle schooler or high schooler either, because they become such independent learners by this age. The kids that will need the majority of that time that you have designated for school – those full 2 hours – would be your students in 3-6 grades as math and grammar assignments might get a little more involved.

The final ingredient for homeschooling success is a library card. That’s right! With access to a huge roomful of books, a world of learning opportunities is at your doorstep. Let’s say that your child is interested in insects or flowers, electricity or magnetism, transportation or inventions… check out as many books as he can devour on the subject and then some more. Watch your child light up with the delight of learning.

With these 5 essential ingredients incorporated into your homeschool, you will experience successful learning in the lives of your children, because this is the measure of success – children that love to learn!

Enjoy those learning moments…

Terri Johnson

Co-author of Homeschooling ABCs – an online class starting this month for brand new homeschoolers. Don't let self-doubt, or lack of experience, rob you of the best first year possible! Sign up for class at http://www.HomeschoolingABCs.com

Are you brand new to homeschooling?

2008-08-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

Don't let self-doubt, or lack of experience, rob you of the best first year possible!

www.HomeschoolingABCs.com

All you need are a few basic "how-to's" and your homeschool can be up and running in 48 hours or less. Would you be interested in a class that will show you, step-by-step, how to turn this first year of homeschooling into the best year ever? And receive over $200 worth of curricula from our partnering companies to boot?

Here's what is included with your class materials:

Free Bonus Gift #1 ($12.00 Value) Teaching Less While Your Child Learns More from Living Books Curriculum. This step-by-step book will show you how you can use living books to provide a quality education at an affordable price. The book includes such things as an explanation of the Seven Keys(TM) and Six Tools(TM) of a Living Books education, an overview of each subject , articles on narration, living books and planning a Charlotte-Mason style education.

Free Bonus Gift #2 ($29.00 Value) Dive into the ocean with Ocean Habitats (grades 3-6) and Under the Sea (preK-2) Project Packs from In the Hands of a Child. Each pack includes a Research Guide about the oceans of the world along with hands-on activities to complete a lapbook about oceans!

Free Bonus Gift #3 ($10.00 Value) Get started in writing with a gift from WriteShop. Included in this starter package is a 30-page lesson sample from WriteShop I (grades 6-10), an 8-day lesson from our brand-new early elementary WriteShop Primary, Book A (grades K-2) and StoryBuilders Sampler containing creative writing prompts for all ages!

Free Bonus Gift #4 ($7.95 Value)Foundations 1 Bible curriculum (Extra Big Sample). We believe that God's Word is essential for our children. Real homeschooling families want to read, study, memorize and apply the Scriptures together. We'll help you lay a firm spiritual foundation for your children.

Free Bonus Gift #5 ($36.00 Value) TEACH magazine is giving away the Mother Enrichment Package to our class members, which includes two digital issues of the magazine, an ebook entitled Organizing Happiness, and the "Queen of Her Castle" MP3 audio for your listening pleasure.

Free Bonus Gift #6 ($15.00 value) Teaching Science and Having Fun by Felice Gerwitz - a how-to-teach science in the home ebook that makes science fun and doable!

Free Bonus Gift #7 ($12.00 value)The Internet Scavenger Hunt - Introduce your kids age 12 and up to the Internet using MotherboardBooks.com's Internet Scavenger Hunt. Kids gather fun and weird facts about animals and geography as they crisscross the Internet using Google, after setting it to SafeSearch to screen out the bad stuff.

Free Bonus Gift #8 ($5.95 value) Get Organized! Easy Ideas to Make This School Year Great by Cindy Rushton

Free Bonus Gift #9 ($10.00 value) Big sample from The Schoolhouse Planner from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. 31 pages of helpful planning forms, lists, etc.

Free Bonus Gift #10 ($10.00 value) History Not Backwards! from TruthQuest History. Kids are right! To memorize the deeds and dates of dead people is the backwards, human-oriented history we learned. God is Creator: Past, Present and Future. So, history should show Him and His truths in convincing action!

Free Bonus Gift #11 ($5.00 value) Fifty Famous Stories Retold from Yesterday's Classics. A collection of many famous tales of ancient and modern times; some historical, some legendary, that have delighted children for generations. Included are such well-known favorites as King Alfred and the Cakes and Bruce and the Spider. The stories are admirably suited to inspire the young mind with lofty ideals and to give a taste for the best reading.

Free Bonus Gift #12 ($7.95 value) Values-Driven Discipleship: Biblical Instruction and Character Training Manual from Values Driven Family. As parents, we tend to react to our children's misbehaviors and fail to address the underlying heart issues. Values-Driven Discipleship offers sound teaching and Bible verses that help you to focus on what really matters: getting God's Word from the mind to the heart, so that behaviors are changed from the inside out!

Free Bonus Gift #13 ($10.00 value) Units from Far Above Rubies and Blessed is the Man by Lynda Coats. The Far Above Rubies unit study is designed to train girls of high school age to become the godly women our Lord wants them to be. It is based on Proverbs 31:10-31, and is designed to cover all subjects for a complete high school education, including many suggestions for expanding into specialized areas of interest. Blessed is the Man is a unit study based on Psalm 1. It is designed to train young men to fulfill their roles as future leaders in the Christian community and to be protectors, providers and priests for their future families.

Free Bonus Gift #14 ($37.00 value) LightHome Sampler of Manuscript Penmanship and LightHome Sampler of Cursive Penmanship. These e-books from LightHome Publications includes sample pages from each of their manuscript and cursive penmanship books on many different topics. It also includes some pages with complete alphabets, some coloring pages, word search puzzles, crossword puzzles, Bible verse posters, and articles with ideas for P.E., geography and more.

Free Bonus Gift #15 (over $50.00 value) Selected resources from Knowledge Quest - to be revealed!

If you can believe it, there may be even more, as our partnering companies WANT to get their curriculum into your hands as you begin this homeschooling journey.

Find out more here - www.HomeschoolingABCs.com.

Are you a veteran, but have friends just starting out? Just pass along this web address to them.

In our next newsletter, we'll talk about Scheduling the Easy Way - A 5 Step Plan. If you still have some scheduling and organizing to do before school starts, you will want to read our next newsletter. Sign-up for our newsletter by sending an email to knowledge-quest@aweber.com.

Until next time...

Warmly,
Terri Johnson

Drawing will take place next Friday instead

2008-08-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

Hey, sorry about that, but I had to scoot out of town rather suddenly this past week and I did not have access to my computer or blog while I was away. And that means that I was unable to conduct the drawing because I just arrived home today (Saturday).

In an effort to make sure that everyone gets a chance to view the list before the drawing actually takes place, I will just push it out to next Friday. The reason is that I need to make a mention of it in the KQ newsletter first, so that reviewers get a chance to make sure their names are on the list. I wouldn't want to leave anyone out.

Soooo... check back here next Friday, August 15th. And the winners will be announced at that time (Lord willing, of course!).

Here are the names for our drawing

2008-08-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

Yay, we are getting closer. We will be having our drawing for the iPod Nano and 2 $150 gift certificates this Friday, August 8th. Big day! We are so excited!

I have compiled the names that have been entered into our drawing and am listing them here below. I am not including email addresses for your privacy and security. I have many of your email addresses at my fingertips because you sent them to me or included them in your blog comment. I also have links to many of your blogs. So I am not really too concerned that I won't be able to get in touch with you if your name is drawn. However, probably your best bet will be to check back here on Friday to see if you have won 1 of the 3 prizes, if you have not heard from me yet to notify you.

Here are the names that are going into the hat:

Kathleen Tice
MeritK - 3 entries
Nancy (nmelk3)
Kathy Aprile
Kathryn (adventuresoflearning)
Bradley A. Foster
Judy Finkell
abernath
c hill - 3 entries
shannon (alto woman)
Brittany (teacherbritt)
Karla (fosterheartsathome)
ignite youth
Suehaven (Susie) Neubaur
coastkids - 3 entries
CC (C in me) - 2 entries
Suzanne in LA
Susan (gentle & quiet)
Michelle Winter - 3 entries
R Somerville
Jennifer
Pam
Kari P - 2 entries
Danielle Hull - 3 entries
kathie - 2 entries
Missy M.
Jodi
jane bullivant
materursa (amanda)
nikowa - 2 entries
sarah
lisa (crazyforjesus)
susan - 2 entries
cyndi kane
Kelly Frohnauer
Tamie
Heather Brianna - 4 entries
Donna Cameli
Brenda Howard - 4 entries
Carolyn Hinton - 2 entries
Rebecca Ponce - 4 entries
Carolyn Yohe
Dawn Brown
Dot Dittman
Dacia Foote
Sharon Horton
Kathy M
Sandy - 2 entries
Devriesfam - 4 entries
Lynne Botha
Tanya (the mom)
Karen
Mebegley
D. Sacco - 2 entries
Debbie Phillips
Tammy C

If you have left more than one review and I don't have that listed, or I have left out your name altogether, just leave me a comment here and I will get that fixed. And don't forget to check back on Friday to see if you are one of the winners!

God bless,
Terri

Getting Ready for your 1st Year of Homeschooling?

2008-07-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

Maybe you have been planning to homeschool for some time or perhaps you have just decided this past week that you are determined to give it a try. In either scenario, you want this to be the best year ever, right? And you are ready to get off to a great start! That's wonderful.

Would you like a few tips on how to get a great start in homeschooling? I have 10 steps that will give you a quick start in homeschooling - in fact, you'll be ready to begin in 48 hours.

1. Since it is summer, you do not need to notify your child's teacher that he won't be coming back to school tomorrow or the day after, BUT you still do need to notify the school district administration in writing that you will be homeschooling your child. At least this is the case in most states. To find out what your state's requirements are, visit the HSLDA website (Home School Legal Defense Association) and click on your state to read up on its laws concerning homechooling - http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp. Since homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, it only makes sense to comply with your state's regulations.

2. Choose a subject of special interest for your child. This could be just about anything, but here are a few suggestions... horses, transportation, navigation, energy, magnetism, inventions, architecture, weaponry, colonial living, pioneer days, insects, flowers, watercolor painting, etc. Once you have chosen a subject of interest, head for your local library and check out books on this topic. You may even find some on your own bookshelves. Try to find books that are both fiction and nonfiction. These books are going to form the core of your delight directed study. A delight directed study means that you will center all or most of your studies around this main topic. For example, if the subject is flowers, flower petals can be counted, sorted and multiplied during math time; the anatomy of a flower can be studied (and dissected) for science; a poem about flowers can be copied for handwriting; types of flowers can be the spelling words; and a particularly beautiful flower can be drawn and painted during art time. And, of course, those books will be read and devoured all through the day and even as bedtime books before lights out.

3. You do not need a handwriting/writing curriculum in order to get started with school. At least, not right away. Use a sentence from one of the books that you are reading (from point #2 above) and write it down in your neatest handwriting at the top of a piece of lined paper. Have your young child copy it from your writing. If your child is very young (say kindergarten), you will want to start with just letters, not full words or sentences yet. If your child is older (say 4th grade and up), you may want to skip right past the copywork stage described above and use dictation instead. In place of writing the sentence at the top of the page, instead dictate the sentence slowly and clearly to your child for her to write down from your reading of it. The older the child, the more lengthy the dictation can be (not more than a paragraph though).

Would you like to know the remaining 7 steps to a quick and great start in homeschooling? You will have to visit our new website - www.HomeschoolingABCs.com - to get the rest. It will be live on August 5th. Stay tuned!

Terri

Prayer answered in the time it took to write last post!

2008-07-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

Wow, God is amazingly good and compassionate! In the time it took to write the last post (which was written from the laptop), the other computer unfroze and I was able to save the class materials that I have been working on so diligently. Thank you, Lord! He does care about the little things - the things that can turn our day upside down.

All glory to God,
Terri

Remember to back-up your computer regularly

2008-07-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy working on the class materials for our beginning homeschoolers' class that I have failed to back-up our main computer these last 2-3 weeks. That's not good because this morning this particular computer that I work on has completely frozen up. That means that all those classes that I have written and prepared for could be gone. Yikes!

Basically, I am on my knees praying today that we haven't lost all of our work from the last few weeks. That is a devastating thought. But God is good and He has a plan. I just need to make myself available to His plan, rather than my own.

On a positive note, I am compiling names for our drawing (see post from July 14th). If your name is drawn, I will notify you on August 8th. Several people have their names entered multiple times. That's exciting! If you would like to enter our drawing for an iPod Nano or one of two $150 Knowledge Quest gift certificates, see details in the post on July 14th. You could be a winner of 1 of 3 great prizes.

Have a great day! My computer guy is on the way, so hopefully my day will improve soon.

God bless,
Terri

Class for Beginning Homeschool Parents

2008-07-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

Are you new to homeschooling? Do you have friends that are just starting out? We are excited to be offering a "class" on the how-to's of homeschooling. This is really going to be helpful step-by-step information for the beginning homeschool family.

And to top it off, we have some top-notch companies that are working with us that want to give portions of their curriculum to our class attendees. We are receiving hundreds of dollars in curriculum to give away to each and every class participant. Yay!

This is really going to be a wonderful opportunity for those just starting out in this homeschooling adventure or perhaps have a year or less under their belt. Pass the word around to your friends and neighbors. This is a class that any new homeschool parent will not want to miss. Class starts around August 1st!

Stay posted right here as details are to follow!

Terri

Oh my, I'm so excited!

2008-07-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

You all are amazing! And so fast too! Now, let me just clarify that I did not tell any of you WHAT to write in your reviews, but I am tickled pink by what you DID write! I am steadily adding names to my hat and cannot wait for the drawing on August 8th. I appreciate each one of you so much that I am already thinking about what else I can give that will bless all of you, above and beyond the 3 big winners. I'll be chewing on that for a little bit...

IF you are wondering what I am talking about, just scroll down to the previous post. We are holding a drawing for an iPod Nano and 2 $150 gift certificates. Find out how your name can be added to our virtual hat!

By the way, it appears that CBD reviews are not posted immediately, so keep that in mind. Your name is entered into the drawing whenever you let me know that your review has been written. And I am entering your name whether you comment here on the blog or send me an email. Either way of communication is fine with me. And several of you are getting your names entered multiple times. Fantastic!

God bless you all,
Terri

You can be the winner of an iPod Nano - Find out how!

2008-07-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

We are holding a drawing for an iPod Nano and 2 Knowledge Quest gift certificates valued at $150 and you could be one of the winners. Let me tell you how you can have your name entered into our drawing.

Many people who purchase Knowledge Quest products let their friends know about them and often even post a review about them on their blogs. There are many of these reviews all over the internet. However, the pages for our books that are listed on Amazon.com and CBD.com are sadly lacking reviews. There are a small handful of reviews posted there and I am thankful to those readers who have taken the time to post their review, BUT it would be really great if there were more.

This is what I am proposing to do. I would love to give away an iPod Nano and 2 Knowledge Quest gift certificates for $150 to 3 individuals whose names are going to be drawn "out of a hat" so to speak. And to get your name in the hat, all you have to do is post a review of one or more of our books that you have previously purchased and then comment here with a link to your review. That's it. I can't tell you what to write in your review, but I do ask that it be honest and that it be for a book that you have taken the time to read or look through carefully. Please do not post a review about a book that you haven't read or have only glanced at on a book store shelf.

That's it. Post those reviews and then leave your comments here. Don't forget to include the link to your review. And you can review more than one book if you wish. Your name will be entered for EACH review that you post.

Post your reviews by July 31st and we'll hold the drawing on Friday, August 8th. Here are the links to our books on Amazon and CBD:

Amazon.com

A Child's Geography: Explore His Earth –
http://www.amazon.com/Childs-Geography-Explore-His-Earth/dp/1932786325/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216074990&sr=8-1

A Child's Geography: Explore the Holy Land –
http://www.amazon.com/Childs-Geography-Explore-Holy-Land/dp/1932786333/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216074990&sr=8-2

Star-Spangled State Book –
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Spangled-State-Book-Joel-King/dp/1932786260/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216075449&sr=1-1

Star-Spangled Workbook –
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Spangled-Workbook-Joel-F-King/dp/1932786279/ref=pd_sim_b_4

Blackline Maps of World History (hardcover book) –
http://www.amazon.com/Blackline-World-History-Terri-Johnson/dp/1932786252/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216075590&sr=1-1

Wonders of Old Timeline Book –
http://www.amazon.com/Wonders-Old-Blank-Timeline-History/dp/1932786104/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216075759&sr=1-1

What Really Happened in Ancient Times –
http://www.amazon.com/What-Really-Happened-Ancient-Times/dp/193278621X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

What Really Happened During the Middle Ages –
http://www.amazon.com/Really-Happened-During-Middle-Happened/dp/1932786228/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216075832&sr=1-2

What Really Happened in Colonial Times –
http://www.amazon.com/What-Really-Happened-Colonial-Times/dp/1932786236/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216076085&sr=1-1

Christian Book Distributors

A Child's Geography: Explore His Earth - http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786323&netp_id=524019&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details

A Child's Geography: Explore the Holy Land –
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=86337&netp_id=524026&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details

Star-Spangled State Book –
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786260&netp_id=478884&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details

Star-Spangled Workbook –
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786279&netp_id=478885&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details

Blackline Maps of World History (hardcover book) –
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786163&event=CF

Blackline Maps of World History CD-ROM –
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786074&netp_id=376826&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details

The Shaping of a Nation (Blackline Maps of American History) softcover book –
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786082&netp_id=376827&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details

The Shaping of a Nation (Blackline Maps of American History) CD-ROM –
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786090&netp_id=376828&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details

Wonders of Old Timeline Book –
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786104&event=CF

Wonders of Old CD-ROM –
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786155&event=CF

What Really Happened During the Middle Ages –
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786111&netp_id=421912&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details

What Really Happened in Colonial Times –
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=786231&netp_id=514903&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details

A unit study about Canada

2008-07-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

This was a fun one to put together - a unit study about our dear neighbor Canada. I hope that you enjoy it. It is amazing how little we Americans know about Canada. It really is rather shameful. But now you do not have to be ashamed any longer! Read the article in The Old Schoolhouse magazine and then have fun with the unit study.

Here's the link:

www.knowledgequestmaps.com/canadaunit.htm

God bless,
Terri

My new school planner is amazing!

2008-07-09T21:17:00.001-07:00

I received my new school planner this week from The Old Schoolhouse. It is called the The Schoolhouse Planner (not too surprising!) and it is loaded with helpful planning information. It is digital and interactive. I can type in my own personal information and then print it myself. Great idea, isn't it? Here is some of what is included in the planner and why I am so excited about it:

Calendars in various forms yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily
Lists of holidays and places to record special days in your family
Planners for your homeschool in various styles to meet your individual needs
Pages for both long-term and short-term homeschooling goals
Curriculum planning forms
Evaluation forms and test score recording sheets
A through-the-Bible in a (school) year schedule
Forms for recording Bible memory and other memory work
Logs for recording books read, movies and documentaries viewed, etc.
A field trip planning form and recording log
A sample science lab sheet and nature study sheets
A place to record extracurricular activities
Outside classes, co-op, and support group information and recording sheets
Household planning forms
Daily, weekly, and monthly household schedule charts
Grocery, menu-planning, and food logs
Various budget and financial planning forms
Garden planning sheets
An appliance and electronics inventory sheet
Vacation planning ideas
Address and telephone records

There are also...
12 homeschool must-know items, one for each month of the year
12 essays from curriculum authors in the homeschool community
24 easy main-dish recipes from some top homeschoolers around the nation
2-page monthly calendar with BIG blocks with lots of room for writing in details each day

I feel fortunate enough to be one of the 12 authors that contributed to this planner, but that is certainly not why I like it. It is because it is so very usable! I will print extra pages of the ones that I will use the most and not print the pages that I won't use at all (not too many of those!).

You can check it out here. I think that you will like it as much as I do.

Terri

Third time is a charm, right?

2008-07-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I am setting up my third blog in hopes that I might actually keep it going this time. I would like to communicate timely Knowledge Quest news and share a little bit about the personalities and goings-on behind the scenes. We would like for you to know us a little more than a website can convey and a newsletter has room to share.

Please use this forum to communicate with us and share your great ideas.

God bless,
Terri Johnson